1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display apparatus which performs display by using an electric field parallel with substrate surfaces to control a direction of liquid crystal molecules in a plane parallel with the substrate surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a liquid crystal display apparatus, there is known one having a configuration in which a liquid crystal layer having liquid crystal molecules aligned in substantially parallel with substrate surfaces with long axes being aligned in one direction is provided between a pair of substrates facing each other with a gap therebetween. Pixel electrodes and a common electrode which are insulated from each other are provided on an inner surfaces of one of the substrates facing each other in order to generate an electric field which controls an alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules in a plane substantially parallel with the substrate surfaces.
Conventionally, this liquid crystal display apparatus is configured to include on an inner surface of one of the substrates, a common electrode corresponding to each pixel region, and a plurality of pixel electrodes provided on an insulating layer covering the common electrode in accordance with the common electrode. A plurality of thin film transistors respectively are connected with these pixel electrodes also, there are provided a plurality of scanning lines which supply gate signals to the thin film transistors in respective rows, and a plurality of signal liens which supply data signals to the thin film transistors in respective columns, such an apparatus is described in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-82357.
In the conventional liquid crystal display apparatus, alignment of liquid crystal molecules in a peripheral region of each pixel is disordered, light leaks in a peripheral portion of the pixel and thus contrast is lowered, due to an influence of an electric field generated between the scanning lines or the signal lines and the pixel electrodes. Further, when a black mask is provided in order to avoid this light leak, there occurs a problem that an aperture ratio is reduced and a display image is darkened.